Tibetans don't enjoy freedom in China, says Lobsang Sangay amid elections for Dharamshala-based parliament-in-exile

Amid the general election for the Dharamshala-based parliament-in-exile, Central Tibetan Administration, its president Lobsang Sangay on Sunday said Tibetans don't enjoy freedom in China but under the great leadership of Dalai Lama they have been given this gift of democracy in India.

"We are sending a clear message to Beijing that there is no democracy in China and Tibetans don't enjoy freedom but under the great leadership of his holiness the Dalai Lama we in-exile have been given this gift of democracy," Sangay told .

He further stated that "Today is a proud day, where Tibetans all over the world come together to celebrate and participate and embrace democracy. To show that we are refugees for political reasons but as a human being, we are as capable, as any other citizens of a democratic country."

"I wish the upcoming leadership the very best. We wish that they be better than us in reaching out to a global stage and support from all over the world and raising the issue of Tibet all over the world and hope that they get triple-forth times funding than us," he said.

Tibetans from 26 countries including India today voted for the final phase of the general election for the Dharamshala-based parliament-in-exile also called the Central Tibetan Administraton to elect the next Sikyong (president). A total of 45 members of the CTA will also be elected.

Penpa Tsering and Aukatsang Kelsang Dorjee are the two candidates for the President of Central Tibetan Administration of Tibetan Government-in-exile.

During the first phase of elections, there were eight candidates for Sikyong/ President in which Penpa Tsering secured the highest 24,488 votes and Aukatsang Kelsang Dorjee secured the second-highest 14,544 votes.

Tibet is ruled by the Chinese Communist Party government based in Beijing, with local decision-making power concentrated in the hands of Chinese party officials.

Tibet was a sovereign state before China's invasion in 1950 when the People's Liberation Army (PLA) entered northern Tibet.

( With inputs from ANI )